Baby shifts to zero waste

Let's get zero-waste realistic.

I love reading about other dedicated, inspiring people striving to live waste-free lifestyles, packing their whole family's annual rubbish into a small glass jar.

I’ve used many of their tips and tricks myself as I introduced more conscious choices into my own life - particularly for things like the Plastic Free July challenge. And it has helped me drastically reduce my consumption and thus my personal waste.

But I know that when most people look at those glass jars of a year of more’s worth of trash it’s bloody daunting.

How on earth are we able to reduce our consumption that much?

I needed to reassure myself, before I could anyone else, that there is no way any zero-waste-plastic-free warriors got to the glass-jar-for-a-year point overnight!

It takes preparation, which I instead like to think of as ‘a series of small shifts’. 

Now that sounds more do-able!

I was inspired when a bunch of my colleagues said to me, "It's just knowledge - knowing what to do and how to make changes."

As I continue my sustainable journey I keep making little changes, most of which are cheap, simple and still aesthetically, well, not daggy.

Here are some of my tips for making small shifts at home.

The Eco Tools kabuki brush has multiple uses - good for the lazy make-up wearer like me!

Choose things with multi-purpose.

Instead of buying multiple things with one use, I try to look for things with more than one purpose - including for its 'after life'.

My retractable Eco Tools kabuki brush can be used for powder, bronzer and blush, and it travels perfectly. Plus, its casing is made from recycled aluminium and the bristles are cruelty free.

Think about the after-life of things like candles. Could their jars be reused, or donated to my candle-making friends to be refilled?

The same goes for empty jars and containers, gift wrapping (more on that later) and packaging. Are they good enough to use again?

Bags can be a great example of versatility, going from handbag to carry-on to backpack.

READ MORE: Why Backpacks Are Cool

My reusable coffee cup has been used for many more things than just hot beverages - think snacks, left-overs, water, wine, icecream, compost scraps…

The power of the humble toothbrush.

If we all changed our toothbrush as often as recommended, we’d trash about 23 billion every year across the globe, according to National Geographic.

You can make the switch to a bamboo-handle toothbrush and bury it in the garden when you’re done with it, after removing the nylon bristles.

It’s also possible to recycle dental waste (left-over plastic toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes and floss containers) by sending them to recycling superheroes TerraCycle, or dropping them off at a local collection point.

Check out some of the great programs they have around Australia (and the world) to combat the traditionally non-recyclable.

Buy naked.

Anytime you can get something without packaging is a win by me!

Bulk food shopping can seem like a big change but is one of the simplest to make, and it’s a really enjoyable experience too.

Bulk food stores encourage us to BYO container or bag to stock up on dry and liquid pantry staples from nuts to flour, oats to chocolate, herbs, spices, tea, coffee, olive oil, honey and so much more!

Buying soap and shampoo bars instead of liquid is a no-brainer naked swap, and there are plenty of natural bars, cakes and balls (like these Est extra virgin olive oil soap balls) out there that can be bought sans-packet. As long as you've got a little soap dish, you're set!

Buying soap without packaging is one of the easiest places to start, like these Est extra virgin olive oil soap balls from Biome.

DIY gifts & reuse bits

This is a habit that stuck around from my childhood. I love to make people gifts and cards instead of buying things. I re-gift gently-used wrapping paper, ribbons, packaging and boxes, and have a stash of cardboard and paper for card making that I picked up at a wonderful joint in Brisbane called Reverse Garbage.

These guys also supplied the leather off-cuts I used to stitch up a little coin wallet for a gift (one of my first sewing machine projects!). I've also made a couple of drawstring bags that can be used for virtually anything. Super cute and satisfying too.

You don't need to consider yourself creative - or stingy! - to make changes like these. Saving money is often just an added benefit of shopping sustainably and consciously. You end up with more for less as you get extra life out of the one thing.

As always, my aim is to show that sustainable choices can be stylish and functional too.